Pesticide Applicator Training Rights-of-Way & Noxious Weeds Equipment and Calibration

1. Pesticide Applicator TrainingRights-of-Way & Noxious WeedsEquipment and Calibration Robert E. Wolf Extension Specialist Application Technology Biological and Agricultural Engineering Dept.

2. Changes in the Application Industry! • Historically inefficient process • Increased cost of chemicals • Rates are changing (< an ounce/acre) • More pest specific products (foliar) • Biotechnology and GMO’s – Roundup Ready, Bt’s • More sophisticated equipment (electronics) $$$ • Environmental impact (water and air) • Easy to measure! • Drift!!! • Variable rates • Site-specific

3. Equipment cost today? How much do these machines cost? $150,000 - 200,000 + $750,000 - 1,300,000

4. Equipment cost today? How much do these machines cost? $15,000 - 30,000 +

5. Application is Important: • Many complaints to chemical company representatives involve improper application of chemicals. • Improper mixing procedures • Travel speed errors • Uniformity of coverage • Incorrect quantities added to the tank • Particle drift • Selection and maintenance of nozzles

6. Application Equipment: • Two basic types of application systems: • Liquid (sprayers) • Granular

7. Application Equipment Manual Sprayers • Compressed air • Knapsack Easy Spray Valve CF Valve Spray Management Valve

8. Application Equipment Power Hydraulic Sprayer • Low-pressure • High pressure

10. Noxious Weed Control

11. Automated Systems • Injection • Multiple position nozzles • Multiple chemicals $70,000 +

12. Sprayer Components: • Tanks (contamination issues) • Pump, Strainers, Agitation • Pressure gauge • Hoses, Flow control assemblies • Electronics: monitors-computers- controllers (GPS/GIS) • Distribution system • Nozzles!!!!!!!!!

13. Types of Pumps: • Roller Pump • Centrifugal Pump • Diaphragm Pump • Piston Pump • Peristaltic Pump (Squeeze or hose pump – chemical injection)

14. Plumbing Diagram

15. Plumbing Diagram:

16. Spray Characteristics are Important to Understand: Demonstrates Turbo Flat vs TurboDrop-5 MPH Wind

17. NOZZLE TYPES: FLAT SPRAY • Extended Range Flat-Fan • Turbo Flat-Fan • Drift Reduction Flat-Fan • Turbo Flood • Off center Flat-Fan

18. Others: • Boomless • Handgun with disk & core or adjustable nozzle

19. Nozzles are important because:

20. 1. Control the Amount applied: Nozzle Flow Rate is affected by: • Orifice size • Pressure • Solution characteristics

21. Nomenclature: Extended Range Trade Name (S,H,P,K,SS) Stainless Steel Insert Orifice VisiFlo Color Coding Fan angle and flow rate-orifice size Rated Pressure = 40 psi for most nozzle types 10 psi for turbo flood nozzles

22. MATERIALS AND WEAR Percent increase in nozzle flow rate Flat-fan spray nozzles after 40 hour test

23. 2. Set up for Uniformity Goal is to put the material on evenly from nozzle to nozzle, end of boom to end of boom, and across the entire field. 20-inch spacing requires 17-19” above target for 50-60% overlap.

24. 3. Will determine coverage: • Need knowledge of the product being used. • Systemic • Contact • What is the target? • Soil • Grass • Broadleaf (smooth, hairy, waxy) • Leaf orientation – time of day

25. 4. Will affect drift: • Movement of spray particles off-target. • Creating smaller spray drops will result in increased drift. • Is it Coverage vs Drift? • What is the answer? $64,000 Question?

26. Why Interest in Drift? • Spotty pest control • Wasted chemicals • Off-target damage • More high value specialty crops • Urban sprawl and..... • Less tolerant neighbors • Litigious Society • More wind?? (Timing) • Environmental impact • Water and Air Quality • Public more aware of pesticide concerns! (Negative) (Perceptions) • Result-higher costs-$$$

27. Technical Aspects of Spray Drift

28. Definition of Drift Movement of spray particlesand vaporsoff-target causing less effective control and possible injury to susceptible vegetation, wildlife, and people. Adapted from National Coalition on Drift Minimization 1997 as adopted from the AAPCO Pesticide Drift Enforcement Policy - March 1991

29. Types of Drift Vapor Drift - associated with volatilization (gas, fumes) Particle Drift - movement of spray particles during or after the spray application

30. Factors Affecting Drift • Equipment & Application • nozzle type • nozzle size • nozzle pressure • height of release • Weather • air movement (direction and velocity) • temperature and humidity • air stability/inversions • topography Spray Characteristics • chemical • formulation • drop size • evaporation

31. Wind Direction • Wind direction is very important • Know the location of sensitive areas - consider safe buffer zones. • Do not spray at any wind speed if it is blowing towards sensitive areas - all nozzles can drift. • Spray when breeze is gentle, steady, and blowing away from sensitive areas. • “Dead calm” conditions arenever recommended.

32. Name Features Cost* Dwyer Floating Ball 15.50 Wind Wizard Mechanical 39.50 Turbo Meter Wind speed - knots, feet/min, meters/sec, mph 135.00 Kestrel 1000 Maximum, average, current wind speed - knots, feet/min, meters/sec, mph 89.00 Kestrel 2000 Maximum, average, current wind speed, temp, wind chill- knots, feet/min, meters/sec, mph 119.00 Kestrel 3000 All wind speed features plus temp, wind chill, dew point, heat index, relative humidity 159.00 Plastimo Iris 50** Compass 89.00 Wind Meters and Compass *Prices for Wind Meters taken from Gempler’s 2002 Master Catalog **Plastimo Airguide Inc., 1110 Lake Cook Road, Buffalo Grove, IL 60089(708-215-7888)

33. Normal Temperature Profile Cooler Temperature decreases with height Altitude Warmer Increasing Temperature Inversions Under normal conditions air tends to rise and mix with the air above. Droplets will disperse and will usually not cause problems.

34. Temperature Inversion Warm Air Temperature increases with height Altitude Cool Air Increasing Temperature Temperature Inversions Under these conditions the temperature increases as you move upward. This prevents air from mixing with the air above it. This causes small suspended droplets to form a concentrated cloud which can move in unpredictable directions.

35. Recognizing Inversions • Under clear to partly cloudy skies and light winds, a surface inversion can form as the sun sets. • Under these conditions, a surface inversion will continue into the morning until the sun begins to heat the ground.

36. Courtesy – George Ramsay, Dupont

37. Precautions for Inversions • Surface inversions are common . • Be especially careful near sunset and an hour or so after sunrise, unless… • There is low heavy cloud cover • The wind speed is greater than 5-6 mph at ground level • 5 degree temp rise after sun-up • Use of a smoke bomb or smoke generator is recommended to identify inversion conditions.

38. Calibration!!!! Ensuring that the spray output is what it is supposed to be!

39. Calculations #$!@&%! GPA= 5940

40. Calibration/Nozzle Selection • What is the first step? • Use label to select the • application volume • product rate • Choose an appropriate travel speed • Effective width of application • nozzle spacing • Calculate GPM – Flow rate per nozzle • Select the correct size of nozzle!

41. Sprayer Calibration Variables 1. Nozzle flow rate (GPM) 2. Ground speed (MPH) 3. Effective sprayed width (W)-inches or swath width (SW) - feet 4. Application rate (GPA)

42. NOZZLE SELECTION 1. Nozzle flow rate (GPM) - affected by: density, orifice size, and pressure To double the flow rate the pressure (psi) must increase____________ times! 4

43. NOZZLE SELECTION 2. Ground speed (MPH) - Doubling the ground speed reduces the application rate (GPA) by _________! 1/2

44. NOZZLE SELECTION 3. Effective sprayed width (inches - W) or (swath width in feet - SW) Doubling the effective sprayed width per nozzle decreases the application rate (GPA) by _________! 1/2

45. Calculations Ok, now I remember! GPA= 5940

46. Application Rate Equation Equation # 1

47. Application Rate Equation Equation # 1 (5940/12” = 495)

48. Where: gallons per acre gallons per minute GPA = ______________________ GPM = ______________________ MPH = ______________________ SW = ______________________ miles per hour swath width - feet 5940 or 495 = a constant to convert gallons per minute, miles per hour, and feet to gallons per acre

49. Measuring Ground Speed Ground Speed - Miles Per Hour (MPH) Where traveling 88 ft. in 60 seconds = 1 MPH Doubling the ground speed reduces the output by 1/2.

50. Flow rate equation or (5940/12” = 495)